The present invention relates to a color ink jet recording apparatus specifically of the type which can provide high-quality printing of black portions.
Among conventional color ink jet recording apparatuses is one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Unexamined Publication No. Sho. 64-75252. In this color ink jet recording apparatus, printing data is subjected to discrimination between low density level data and high density level data, and two sets of recording heads are provided which respectively use low-density inks Y1 (yellow), M1 (magenta), C1 (cyan)and high-density inks Y2, M2, C2 and K (black). Printing is made using the single black ink in black portions of character and symbol areas where high resolution is required, and using two sets of inks (excluding the black ink) of different densities in dark and light image areas such as photograph areas where high gradation performance is required.
However, since the recording heads are used for the respective inks of high and low densities, the above conventional color ink jet recording apparatus is not only expensive but also complex and bulky.
Further, in the conventional apparatus, a wide black portion in a dark and light image area is printed with the inks for dark and light images. In general, quick drying inks are used for dark and light images, and they cannot provide high-quality printing of black images because of their low printing densities. Therefore, in the conventional apparatus, a wide black portion in a dark and light image area cannot be printed with sufficient image quality. On the other hand, if a black portion in or adjacent to a dark and light image area is printed using a slow drying ink, ink running may occur to deteriorate the image quality.